I recall asking
Jerry Doak, owner/operator of the WW Doak fly shop in Doaktown, New Brunswick, what the best salmon fly was for the Miramichi
River. This was back in the 1970`s when young Jerry was tending the then tiny shop for his father. He replied that the Butterfly
was responsible for about 90% of salmon caught that season, adding ``but 90% of our anglers were using Butterflies!``

And that`s how it went on the Miramichi, year after year. Soon the overwhelming favorite
became the Green Machine, created by John Lyons who works in Jerry`s shop. Later it was the ``Same Thing, Murray``, and so
on.

Although the Butterfly may not be as popular as it was in the 1970s, it is still carried
by most salmon anglers that I know simply because it`s a reliable producer. The butterfly has a different profile (3-D) than
the usual wet fly design, making it a useful change-of-pace pattern. The divided wings make it very visible in high or dirty
flood waters, and it is usually my first choice in these conditions. The fluttering mobility of the divided wings also makes
it an effective fall pattern, when slow, deep fishing is preferred. I`ve also tied it as a salmon dry fly and found that it
worked very well fished over and under, like the MacIntosh, a very effective technique on the St. Mary`s
River.

Reid Mason of Country Harbour, NS, can also thank the Butterfly for many of the Atlantic
salmon he has caught over the years, and I recall one of about 30 lbs at Miller`s Bank. He ties his Butterflies using goat,
coyote or dyed calftail (yellow, orange, or green) for the wings, adding fluorescent or sparkle butts of various shades. The
neat and tidy Butterflies in the photo are by Reid. His skill, developed through nearly 40 years of tying and fishing the
fly, is evident under close examination. Obviously the salmon agree!

Here is the
recipe for the original Ingall`s Butterfly, tied by Maurice Ingalls of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 1956, for fishing the Miramichi
River.